Fruit-grader.



.H. c'. wlNANs.

FRUIT GRADER.

l APPLICATION msn ww 31.191`. 1,286,863. Patented Deo. 3, 1918.

' 2 sHEETs-SHEET l.

H. C. WINANS.

mun GRADER.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 31.- 1918. A Patented Dec. 3, 1918.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

, EDplSTATEs PATENT orrion. f

HENRY C. WINANS, PRESCOTT, WASHINGTON."

FRUIT-GRADER.

ToaZZvwhom-z't may vconcern Beit-known that I, HENRY C. WINANS, a

citizen of the Unitedv States; residing at Prescott, in the county 0f Walla Walla and videfa framework having mounted' thereony a-plurality of? traveling belts, coperat'ing Withfwhich` area series of contact platesextending for differentfdistancesover said belts an'd adapted to discharge therefrom into" a series ofl delivery bins.

A' furthervobject`- of the `invention is tov provide vconveyer belt with a series of tixedhcontact plates extending transversely thereof'for successively" greater distances and each provided with a brush extending laterally 'from the plate to cleanse the l'fruit and assist in retainingl it in contact with the plate;

j Another object' of -thev invention is toprovide afplur'ality of conveyer belts disposed above a vreceiving hopper `which is -inclined dwnwardly from the belts and'divided into a series'of delivery bins', together with depending" curtains adapted to engage and break the fall' of the fruit in its passage from the belts to the bins.

y Other and further objects and advantages ofthe invention will be hereinafter set forth andthe novel features thereof detinedvby the appended claims.

In the drawings, y

Figure 1-I is a top plan of the grader. Fig. 2, a side elevation'thereof.v -F-ig.' 3,1 awvertical section on line 3-3 of Fig. 1, and l Y v Fig. 4, `a detail perspective of'on'eof the contact plates and brushes. e

Like numerals of reference designate like parts in the several figures of the drawings.

The nnmerallO indicates the frame of the machine which may be of any desired character or configuration. preferably supported by means of standards 11. The side walls 12 of thisframe are provided at opposite' Specification of LettersIat-ent. applicati@ filed g'ruly'si, 191s. serial No. l247,596.-

Patentea Dee. 3,1918.

ends with bearing rollers `13`and"1`2l over which the traveling belts 15 are disposed and adapted to be driven by any desired means, for instance, a pulley 16' upon the shaft 17 of the roller13 connected by a belt 18 with the motor* 19 mounted Vuponthe frame.l The belts 15 are similar in charac= ter and are disposed at the outer sides of the body of the machine adjacent the side walls 12 thereof.

AUpon thesewallsfthe contact' plates QOare mounted in ,any desired manner and 'such plates are of successively` lgreater. length-in the advancing travel lof thebelts. hese plates may-be of'anypreferred construction and* preferably formed with `the angular securing base 21 mounted on the- Wall 12 and" the laterallyiext'e'nding arm 2`2-at their free ends carrying `the depending wiper brushes" 23, yas shown in Fig; 4.' These brushescontact with the fruit to remove dust, spray de`-,

posits or other objectionable matter from the fruit as itis carried forward by the belt and'also act to hold the fruit in 'Contact withythe plate `20 for a limited period, so as to secure a positive grading action..

Beneath the belts a series of delivery bins 25 vare disposed andv extend to opposite sides of the machine. These bins are separated by partitions 26 and the central 'portion thereof beneath the conveyer belts is raised,

asjshown at 27, to form `a gradual incline) down which the fruit will pass to the outer ends ofthe bins. The base of this inclined.v portion may be formed of any desired mal' terial, such as canvas properly supported inV position. For the purpo^`e of breaking'the fall of the yfruit and preventing injury thereto a series of curtains 28 are `provided.

and depend so as to Contact with the fruit in its passage from the belt to said bins.

Intermediate of the conveyer belts 15 is the `parallel belt 30 of similar character and extendingl over the driven roller 14 and an intermediate roller 31 by which motion is transmitted thereto. This belt is disposed beneath a partition wa1l'32 which carries a serles cf'A contact plates and brushes 33 of successively greater length as described in connection with the plates and brushes 20. By this arrangement.l certain grades of fruit may be fed to thebelts 15 and separated by the contact plates coperating therewith into different sizes. while another grade may be fed to the belt 30 and correspondingly separated so that a large number of differ` ent grades and sizes of fruit may be separated.

The frame 10 is provided at opposite sides at the feed end with suitable supports 34: adapted to receive containers from which the fruit to be graded will be fed by the' )disposed to travel in the longitudinal slot 38 in thewall 36 of the bins-and adapted to be clamped inthe desired position by thev nut 39. v I

In the, operation ofthe invention, the fruit may be fed by one or more operators so thata certainy grade is placed upon each ,of thebelts and in the movement `of this belt,;the fruit isbrought into Contact with p the plate which" owinl` to itsincreasing length deposits thedifferent 'sizes'thereof into .the respective bins. The brushes carried by these contact plates act totemporarily retain thefruit in contact and also thoroughlyfwipe and cleansethe fruit from any adhering foreign matter.l In the illustration shown, the larger size fruit will iirst fall from the edge of theb'elt and the smaller sizes be carried forward therewith and's'ucy cessively delivered to the bins. The` invention also vprovides means for safely conveying the fruit from the belt tozthe bin without injury theretoandl for adjustably-supportinga packing container adjacent to the bins.

While the details of construction and configuration of the parts have beendescribed and shown in the drawings, still the invention is not Vconfined thereto as changes may be madetherein without departing from the y l spirit of the invention as defined by the following claims.

p Having thus Y 1. In afruit grader, a frame, a conveyer belt a. series of fixed contact plates of successivelyincreasmg rlength extending laterally over'said belt, andl delivery bins vdisposed tocoperate with the discharge from saidl plates.

2. gIna yfruit. grader, a frame, a conveyer ing for different distancesv over said belt, deliverybins disposed to cooperate with the discharge from said plates, and brushes carried vby* said plates atan angle thereto and disposed above said belt. l

Vcurtains disposed between the v described my invention, what I claim as new 1stb`elt'a1 series of fixed Contact plates extend- 3. In a fruit grader, a frame, a conveycr belt, a series of fixed contact plates extending for different distances over said belt, delivery bins disposed to coperate with the discharge from said plates, and depending discharge from said belt and said bins. I

4. In a fruit grader, a frame, a traveling belt, a series of xed contact means extending for successively greaterdistances over said belt, means at the free ends of said contact means for ret'arding forward movement of material upon the belt,and a series of bins disposed to receive the delivery from said contact means.l

5. In a fruit gradena frame, a plurality of traveling belts disposedadiacent thev side walls thereof, a series of contact plates secured to said wallsand extending for ysuccess ively greater distances over said belts, a traveling belt disposed intermediate'thefirst mentioned belts and'extending for a portion of the length' thereof, a supporting wall,

contact plates secured to said -wall vand extending' for successively Ygreater distances over sa'idlast mentionedfbelt, and a series of bins disposed beneath "the severalbelts toreceive the discharge from the contact plates coperating therewith.

6. In a fruit- Qrader, a frame, a Vconvever belt mounted thereon. a Contact plate disposed above said belt and comprising an angle arm having a securing member. and atransverse arm 'extending from said plate and provided with a depending brush therefrom.

7 Ina fruit lgrader,fa frame. a conveyer belt mounted thereon, a lseries of fixed con;-

tact plates extending obliouely across said belt and eachfof successively vgreater length, and means tofcollect the separated material delivered bv rsaid plates. f

8. In la fruit grader, aj framea conveyer belt mounted thereonya series of fixed-contact plates extendingfo'blicuely across said belt and each ofcsuccessively greaterlength,

an arm extending,atvan'anefle'fromV saidvplate and transversely' of saidbelt, a brush depending from said arm abovesaid belt,

and a1seriesof`bins disposed relative to the.

delivery from said plates. v f

In testimonv whereof I -have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

HENRY fo. wINANs.

l`IVitnesses:

F. J. FLmsHEiz, f' *LAURA MCMILLAN.

Cepies 'f this` patent may be obtained for ve cents each. by addressing the Commissioner ofV Patents.

^ Washington. D. (5.. 

